Fresno County, California Biographies Source: History of Fresno County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present (1919) History By Paul E. Vandor Illustrated, Complete In Two Volumes Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1919 Notes: Missing+page1185-1186 Transcribed by Peggy Hooper This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm W. H. SHAFER. � Among the men who have been instrumental in the development of the county's irrigation projects, W. H. Shafer is known as a man who has ever had the best interests of the community at heart. Born at Stockton, San Joaquin County, Cal., March 15, 1861, he is a son of John Shafer, who was born in Bedford County, Pa. His grandfather, Abram Shaf- er, was a contractor on the old Government Pike, the military road from New York to Chicago, Ill., before the advent of the railway, and was identified with the development of the country west of the Alleghanies. He was a Pennsylvanian, as was also his great-grandfather. The Shafer family were German Lutherans who sought refuge in America from persecution under the benign wing of William Penn. because of their religious views and love of political freedom. Mr. Shafer's father, John Shafer, was among the influx to California in 1850, journeying down the Ohio River and up the Missouri River to St. Joseph. Mo., where he and four or five other sturdy young men outfitted and crossed the plains to California with ox teams; all the available mules and horses had been purchased by earlier argonauts. Arriving in Cali- fornia Mr. Shafer sought his fortune in the placer gold fields. Owing to ill health and failure to make a stake in mining he abandoned that business and became a wood contractor, taking contracts to furnish fuel for the steamers on the Sacramento River. He cleared the land, sold the wood and planted the cleared land to vegetables and orchard and soon established a good trade for his products. He built up a commercial business, established a fresh vege- table market at Stockton and continued to raise vegetables on his cleared land, selling his own produce and that of others. Mr. Shafer was married at Stockton to Mrs. Matilda Fish, a native of Michigan, of English and Scotch ancestry. Her mother's maternal grand- father, Samuel Roundy, was born in Scotland; the Roundys were pioneers and saw-mill men in the East. In a family of four children Matilda was the oldest daughter. Mr. Shafer's father was a leader in establishing some of the early schools in California. He built the first school house near Isleton, Sacramento County, before the school district was organized ; going down into his own pocket for the money, he purchased the lumber, worked himself and hired others, doing this to fill a much needed want, which was demon- strated at that period in California. He became a well-to-do business man of Stockton, and later resided in Sacramento County. In 1869 he removed with his family to Fresno County, Cal., and the family came to Selma in the fall of 1881. In May. 1894, Mrs. Shafer died and Mr. Shafer did not long survive her. for he died in December of that same year. W. H. Shafer was one of the first schoolboys in Sacramento County: his mother, who had a college education, gave her son his first lessons in reading and writing, and imparted to him a love for scientific knowledge. He was particularly fond of mathematics, civil engineering and surveying. While vet a boy he obtained a practical knowledge of the latter, as chain-boy under J. W. Prentice, surveyor of Sacramento County. He also caught in- spiration and enthusiasm from the late Will S. Green, surveyor general of California. Learning from his mother's instructions, attending the public schools, surveying, helping in and around his father's business, he shared the common experiences of the first generation of California youth and grew up and developed a great liking for the work of the irrigationist and surveyor. He entered Van der Nailen School of Engineering, 24 Post Street, San Fran- cisco, pursued a special course in civil engineering and at twenty was a civil engineer, and early established the old levee grades on the Sacramento River. Locating at Selma, Mr. Shafer was employed by the directors of the Centerville and Kingsburg Canal. Becoming interested in irrigation here he was soon chosen to superintend the water distribution and the maintenance of the Centerville and Kingsburg Irrigation canal. The first ditch built in Fresno County was the Sweem Ditch ; the Fresno Canal was the second ditch, and the Centerville and Kingsburg Irrigation Canal the third ditch. Work on this ditch commenced in the fall of 1877, and water was run as far as Selma in 1878. Mr. Shafer has been connected with some phase of irriga- tion since a young man, most of the time on the Centerville and Kingsburg Canal. The water right for this canal was obtained January 12, 1876 ; articles of incorporation were filed May 11, 1877; there were fifty original shares, five of them were paid for in cash and the others were worked out by their holders. This canal is now a part of the vast irrigation system known as the Consoli- dated Canal Company. Mr. Shafer is resident engineer and has charge of the ditches for Selma and vicinity, his work extending to the laying out, survey- ing and maintenance of canals, with a supervising oversight and management of the actual work of irrigating the adjacent land. He personally superin- tends 150 miles of the 220 miles comprised in the Consolidated Canal Com- pany's system. The water for irrigation costs not over seventy-five cents per acre per annum, and is the cheapest irrigation water in the San Joaquin Valley. Mr. Shafer has made this his life work, has attended most of the important irrigation conventions, has appeared before the Legislature and done much committee work in regard to the improvement of irrigation facilities for this section of California. He is an earnest advocate of the Pine Flat project. It is due largely to Mr. Shafer's efforts that Selma has an excellent high school with artistically grouped buildings and ample playgrounds. He was chairman of the board of High School Trustees during the erection of the Selma high school building. He is the owner of a well-improved seventy- eight acre ranch adjoining Selma on the northwest, upon which he has built substantial buildings including a commodious residence. In his political sen-, timents Mr. Shafer is a Progressive. He attended the first meeting at Sacra- mento, September, 1907, of California Progressives and assisted in organiz- ing the Lincoln Roosevelt League. He is a firm friend and stanch supporter of Senator Hiram W. Johnson.